feat(story): add voiceover support for story beats

- Introduced voiceover relationship to StoryBeats with AI-generated flag.
- Added BeatVoiceover component for playing audio narrations with a minimal interface.
- Updated StoryPage, StoryViewer, and StoryTableOfContents to display and handle voiceovers.
- Created Voiceovers collection for uploading and managing audio narrations for beats.
- Included migration script to support voiceover functionality in the database.

src/app/(frontend)/story/page.tsx

@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@ import config from "@payload-config";
 import { getPayload } from "payload";
 import { headers as nextHeaders } from "next/headers";
 import { RichText } from "@payloadcms/richtext-lexical/react";
-import type { StoryBeat, StoryBeatState } from "@/payload-types";
+import type { StoryBeat, StoryBeatState, StoryVoiceover } from "@/payload-types";
 import { isPayloadUser } from "@/utils/access-control/isPayloadUser";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 import { BEAT_BODY_CLASSES } from "@/lib/story/richtextClasses";
 import { BeatReactions } from "@/components/frontend/story/BeatReactions";
 import { BeatReadMarker } from "@/components/frontend/story/BeatReadMarker";
+import { BeatVoiceover } from "@/components/frontend/story/BeatVoiceover";
 import { StoryViewer, type StoryViewerBeat } from "@/components/frontend/story/StoryViewer";
 import { StoryTableOfContents } from "@/components/frontend/story/StoryTableOfContents";
 import type { StoryReaction } from "@/lib/story/reactions";
@@ -40,6 +41,10 @@ function sortBeats(beats: StoryBeat[]): StoryBeat[] {
   });
 }
 
+function voiceoverDoc(beat: StoryBeat): StoryVoiceover | null {
+  return beat.voiceover && typeof beat.voiceover !== "number" ? beat.voiceover : null;
+}
+
 export default async function StoryPage() {
   const payloadConfig = await config;
   const payload = await getPayload({ config: payloadConfig });
@@ -99,6 +104,8 @@ export default async function StoryPage() {
     dateLabel: beat.occurredAt ? DATE_FORMAT.format(new Date(beat.occurredAt)) : null,
     body: beat.body,
     initialRead: Boolean(stateByBeat.get(beat.id)?.readAt),
+    voiceoverUrl: voiceoverDoc(beat)?.url ?? null,
+    voiceoverAiGenerated: voiceoverDoc(beat)?.aiGenerated ?? false,
   }));
 
   return (
@@ -111,8 +118,7 @@ export default async function StoryPage() {
             </p>
             <h1 className="mt-2 font-serif text-4xl font-bold">Story Chronicle</h1>
             <p className="mt-3 text-muted-foreground">
-              Every operation leaves a mark. These are the beats of our story, told in
+              Every operation leaves a mark. These are the beats of our story, told in order.
-              order.
             </p>
             {sorted.length > 0 && (
               <div className="mt-5 flex justify-center">
@@ -136,6 +142,8 @@ export default async function StoryPage() {
                     ? `${mission.codeName} · ${mission.name}`
                     : mission.name
                   : null;
+                const voiceoverDocForBeat = voiceoverDoc(beat);
+                const voiceoverUrl = voiceoverDocForBeat?.url ?? null;
                 return (
                   <li
                     key={beat.id}
@@ -161,6 +169,15 @@ export default async function StoryPage() {
                         </span>
                       )}
                     </div>
+                    {voiceoverUrl && (
+                      <div className="mt-4">
+                        <BeatVoiceover
+                          src={voiceoverUrl}
+                          label={beat.title}
+                          aiGenerated={voiceoverDocForBeat?.aiGenerated ?? false}
+                        />
+                      </div>
+                    )}
                     <div className="mt-4">
                       <RichText data={beat.body} className={cn(BEAT_BODY_CLASSES)} />
                     </div>

src/app/(frontend)/styles.css

@@ -3304,6 +3304,7 @@
   font-weight: 600;
   letter-spacing: 0.08em;
   color: rgb(255 255 255 / 95%);
+  overflow-wrap: anywhere;
 }
 
 /* Must out-rank leaflet.css, which styles the SAME selector later (it loads
@@ -3410,6 +3411,10 @@
   letter-spacing: 0.16em;
   padding: 4px 8px;
   text-transform: uppercase;
+  width: max-content;
+  max-width: min(280px, 60vw);
+  white-space: normal;
+  overflow-wrap: anywhere;
 }
 
 .leaflet-container .map-tooltip-dossier.leaflet-tooltip-top::before {

src/collections/AGENTS.md

@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ collections/
   projects/        4 files         # Projects, Labels, Releases, Sprints (Jira-like)
   tickets/         2 files         # Tickets (Lexical rich text), TicketVotes
   wiki/            3 files         # WikiPages, WikiRevisions, WikiTemplates
+  story/           3 files         # StoryBeats (Chronicle chapters), StoryBeatStates (read markers/reactions),
+                                   # Voiceovers (audio narration uploads for the Chronicle, attached to beats)
 ```
 
 ## Key relationships

src/collections/story/StoryBeats.ts

@@ -78,5 +78,13 @@ export const StoryBeats: CollectionConfig = {
         description: "Optional mission this beat is tied to. Beats may stand alone.",
       },
     },
+    {
+      name: "voiceover",
+      type: "relationship",
+      relationTo: "story-voiceovers",
+      admin: {
+        description: "Optional audio narration for this beat. Rendered as a player on /story.",
+      },
+    },
   ],
 };

src/collections/story/Voiceovers.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import path from "path";
+import type { CollectionConfig } from "payload";
+import hasRoles from "@/utils/access-control/hasRoles";
+
+function isStoryAuthor(user: Parameters<typeof hasRoles>[1]): boolean {
+  return hasRoles(["admin", "developer"], user);
+}
+
+export const Voiceovers: CollectionConfig = {
+  slug: "story-voiceovers",
+  admin: {
+    group: "Story",
+    useAsTitle: "filename",
+    defaultColumns: ["filename", "mimeType", "updatedAt"],
+    description:
+      "Audio narrations for Chronicle story beats. Attach to a beat via its Voiceover field.",
+  },
+  access: {
+    read: ({ req }) => Boolean(req.user),
+    create: ({ req }) => isStoryAuthor(req.user),
+    update: ({ req }) => isStoryAuthor(req.user),
+    delete: ({ req }) => isStoryAuthor(req.user),
+  },
+  // staticDir must be set explicitly: Payload defaults an upload collection's
+  // staticDir to its slug resolved from cwd (dist/collections/config/sanitize.js),
+  // which would write files to <cwd>/story-voiceovers and miss the persistent
+  // /app/media volume in production. media/ is gitignored.
+  upload: {
+    staticDir: path.resolve(process.cwd(), "media", "story-voiceovers"),
+    mimeTypes: ["audio/*"],
+  },
+  fields: [
+    {
+      name: "aiGenerated",
+      type: "checkbox",
+      label: "AI-generated",
+      defaultValue: false,
+      admin: {
+        description:
+          "Tick if this narration was generated by AI (text-to-speech) rather than recorded by a person. Adds a note under the player on /story.",
+      },
+    },
+  ],
+};

src/components/frontend/session/SessionExpiryBanner.tsx

@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@ import {
 } from "@/lib/session/countdown";
 import { SESSION_EXTENDED_EVENT } from "@/hooks/useGameTick";
 
+/**
+ * Stable id for the one-shot "session expiring" heads-up toast. A fixed id lets
+ * us dismiss it deterministically (e.g. on sign-out) instead of relying on the
+ * opaque id returned by `toast.info`. Mirrors MissionReminderToasts.
+ */
+const SESSION_EXPIRY_TOAST_ID = "session-expiry-warning";
+
 interface SessionExpiryBannerProps {
   /** Absolute expiry (ms since epoch), server-computed from the JWT `exp`. */
   sessionExp: number | null;
@@ -70,6 +77,7 @@ export function SessionExpiryBanner({
     toastFiredRef.current = true;
     const minutes = Math.round(warnMs / 60_000);
     toast.info(`Your session expires in about ${minutes} min.`, {
+      id: SESSION_EXPIRY_TOAST_ID,
       action: {
         label: "Extend",
         onClick: () => void extendSession(),
@@ -83,6 +91,20 @@ export function SessionExpiryBanner({
     if (phase === "warn") fireToast();
   }, [phase, warnMs, fireToast]);
 
+  // The heads-up toast is only relevant while we're in the warn window. Dismiss it
+  // when the user extends (phase leaves "warn") or dismisses the banner, and again
+  // on unmount (sign-out swaps the shell for the landing page) — otherwise the
+  // duration:Infinity toast lingers for a signed-out user and its Extend button 403s.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!visible) toast.dismiss(SESSION_EXPIRY_TOAST_ID);
+  }, [visible]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    return () => {
+      toast.dismiss(SESSION_EXPIRY_TOAST_ID);
+    };
+  }, []);
+
   const extendSession = useCallback(async () => {
     setExtending(true);
     setError(null);

src/components/frontend/story/BeatVoiceover.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState, type ChangeEvent } from "react";
+import { Pause, Play } from "lucide-react";
+import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
+
+function formatTime(seconds: number): string {
+  if (!Number.isFinite(seconds) || seconds <= 0) return "0:00";
+  const total = Math.floor(seconds);
+  const minutes = Math.floor(total / 60);
+  const secs = total % 60;
+  return `${minutes}:${secs.toString().padStart(2, "0")}`;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Minimal audiobook-style player for a story beat narration. Play/pause plus
+ * a seek bar and time readout; ends back at zero (per-chapter playback, no
+ * auto-advance to other chapters). AI-generated narrations get a small note.
+ */
+export function BeatVoiceover({
+  src,
+  label,
+  aiGenerated = false,
+}: {
+  readonly src: string;
+  readonly label: string;
+  readonly aiGenerated?: boolean;
+}) {
+  const audioRef = useRef<HTMLAudioElement>(null);
+  const [playing, setPlaying] = useState(false);
+  const [currentTime, setCurrentTime] = useState(0);
+  const [duration, setDuration] = useState(0);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const audio = audioRef.current;
+    if (!audio) return;
+
+    const onPlay = () => setPlaying(true);
+    const onPause = () => setPlaying(false);
+    const onTimeUpdate = () => setCurrentTime(audio.currentTime);
+    const onLoadedMetadata = () => setDuration(audio.duration);
+    const onEnded = () => {
+      setPlaying(false);
+      setCurrentTime(0);
+    };
+
+    audio.addEventListener("play", onPlay);
+    audio.addEventListener("pause", onPause);
+    audio.addEventListener("timeupdate", onTimeUpdate);
+    audio.addEventListener("loadedmetadata", onLoadedMetadata);
+    audio.addEventListener("ended", onEnded);
+
+    return () => {
+      audio.removeEventListener("play", onPlay);
+      audio.removeEventListener("pause", onPause);
+      audio.removeEventListener("timeupdate", onTimeUpdate);
+      audio.removeEventListener("loadedmetadata", onLoadedMetadata);
+      audio.removeEventListener("ended", onEnded);
+    };
+  }, []);
+
+  function togglePlay() {
+    const audio = audioRef.current;
+    if (!audio) return;
+    if (playing) {
+      audio.pause();
+    } else {
+      void audio.play().catch(() => setPlaying(false));
+    }
+  }
+
+  function handleSeek(event: ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) {
+    const audio = audioRef.current;
+    if (!audio) return;
+    const next = Number(event.target.value);
+    if (!Number.isFinite(next)) return;
+    audio.currentTime = next;
+    setCurrentTime(next);
+  }
+
+  const seekMax = duration > 0 ? duration : 0;
+
+  return (
+    <div className="flex flex-col gap-1 items-center">
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-2.5" aria-label={`Audio narration: ${label}`}>
+        <audio ref={audioRef} src={src} preload="metadata" />
+        <Button
+          type="button"
+          variant="ghost"
+          size="icon"
+          className="size-7 text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground"
+          aria-label={playing ? `Pause narration: ${label}` : `Play narration: ${label}`}
+          onClick={togglePlay}
+        >
+          {playing ? <Pause className="size-4" /> : <Play className="size-4" />}
+        </Button>
+        <input
+          type="range"
+          min={0}
+          max={seekMax}
+          step={0.1}
+          value={Math.min(currentTime, seekMax || 0)}
+          onChange={handleSeek}
+          disabled={duration <= 0}
+          aria-label={`Seek narration: ${label}`}
+          className="h-1 w-32 cursor-pointer accent-primary disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-40 sm:w-44"
+        />
+        <span className="font-mono text-xs tabular-nums text-muted-foreground">
+          {formatTime(currentTime)} / {formatTime(duration)}
+        </span>
+      </div>
+      {aiGenerated && <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground opacity-50 text-center">This audio narration was generated using AI. As a result, the quality of the narration may be inconsistent.<br/><br/>Want to narrate for the Chronicle? Reach out to Jason to sign up!</p>}
+    </div>
+  );
+}

src/components/frontend/story/StoryTableOfContents.tsx

@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 "use client";
 
 import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { Headphones } from "lucide-react";
 import type { StoryViewerBeat } from "@/components/frontend/story/StoryViewer";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 export type StoryTableOfContentsBeat = Pick<
   StoryViewerBeat,
-  "id" | "title" | "chapter" | "initialRead"
+  "id" | "title" | "chapter" | "initialRead" | "voiceoverUrl"
 >;
 
 export function StoryTableOfContents({
@@ -79,13 +80,16 @@ export function StoryTableOfContents({
         {beats.map((beat) => {
           const active = activeBeatId === beat.id;
           const readLabel = beat.initialRead ? "Read" : "Unread";
+          const ariaLabel = beat.voiceoverUrl
+            ? `Chapter ${beat.chapter}: ${beat.title}. ${readLabel}. Has audio.`
+            : `Chapter ${beat.chapter}: ${beat.title}. ${readLabel}.`;
 
           return (
             <li key={beat.id}>
               <button
                 type="button"
                 aria-current={active ? "location" : undefined}
-                aria-label={`Chapter ${beat.chapter}: ${beat.title}. ${readLabel}.`}
+                aria-label={ariaLabel}
                 onClick={() => scrollToBeat(beat.id)}
                 className={cn(
                   "group relative -ml-px flex w-full items-start gap-2 border-l-2 px-2 py-2 text-left text-xs transition-colors focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-1 focus-visible:ring-ring focus-visible:ring-offset-2 focus-visible:ring-offset-background",
@@ -105,6 +109,12 @@ export function StoryTableOfContents({
                     {beat.title}
                   </span>
                 </span>
+                {beat.voiceoverUrl && (
+                  <Headphones
+                    aria-hidden="true"
+                    className="mt-1.5 size-3 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground"
+                  />
+                )}
                 <span
                   aria-hidden="true"
                   className={cn(

src/components/frontend/story/StoryViewer.tsx

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { BookOpen, X } from "lucide-react";
 import { RichText } from "@payloadcms/richtext-lexical/react";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { BeatReadMarker } from "@/components/frontend/story/BeatReadMarker";
+import { BeatVoiceover } from "@/components/frontend/story/BeatVoiceover";
 import type { StoryBeat } from "@/payload-types";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 import { READER_BODY_CLASSES } from "@/lib/story/richtextClasses";
@@ -16,6 +17,8 @@ export type StoryViewerBeat = {
   readonly dateLabel: string | null;
   readonly body: StoryBeat["body"];
   readonly initialRead: boolean;
+  readonly voiceoverUrl: string | null;
+  readonly voiceoverAiGenerated: boolean;
 };
 
 export function StoryViewer({ beats }: { readonly beats: readonly StoryViewerBeat[] }) {
@@ -101,6 +104,15 @@ export function StoryViewer({ beats }: { readonly beats: readonly StoryViewerBea
                     {beat.dateLabel && (
                       <p className="mt-3 text-sm text-neutral-500">{beat.dateLabel}</p>
                     )}
+                    {beat.voiceoverUrl && (
+                      <div className="mt-6 [&_.text-muted-foreground]:text-neutral-500">
+                        <BeatVoiceover
+                          src={beat.voiceoverUrl}
+                          label={beat.title}
+                          aiGenerated={beat.voiceoverAiGenerated}
+                        />
+                      </div>
+                    )}
                     <div className="mt-8">
                       <RichText data={beat.body} className={cn(READER_BODY_CLASSES)} />
                     </div>

src/migrations/20260924_205400_add_story_beat_voiceover.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import { MigrateUpArgs, MigrateDownArgs, sql } from '@payloadcms/db-postgres'
+
+export async function up({ db, payload, req }: MigrateUpArgs): Promise<void> {
+  await db.execute(sql`
+   CREATE TABLE "story_voiceovers" (
+  	"id" serial PRIMARY KEY NOT NULL,
+  	"updated_at" timestamp(3) with time zone DEFAULT now() NOT NULL,
+  	"created_at" timestamp(3) with time zone DEFAULT now() NOT NULL,
+  	"url" varchar,
+  	"thumbnail_u_r_l" varchar,
+  	"filename" varchar,
+  	"mime_type" varchar,
+  	"filesize" numeric,
+  	"width" numeric,
+  	"height" numeric,
+  	"focal_x" numeric,
+  	"focal_y" numeric
+  );
+  
+  ALTER TABLE "story_beats" ADD COLUMN "voiceover_id" integer;
+  ALTER TABLE "payload_mcp_api_keys" ADD COLUMN "story_voiceovers_find" boolean DEFAULT false;
+  ALTER TABLE "payload_mcp_api_keys" ADD COLUMN "story_voiceovers_create" boolean DEFAULT false;
+  ALTER TABLE "payload_mcp_api_keys" ADD COLUMN "story_voiceovers_update" boolean DEFAULT false;
+  ALTER TABLE "payload_mcp_api_keys" ADD COLUMN "story_voiceovers_delete" boolean DEFAULT false;
+  ALTER TABLE "payload_locked_documents_rels" ADD COLUMN "story_voiceovers_id" integer;
+  CREATE INDEX "story_voiceovers_updated_at_idx" ON "story_voiceovers" USING btree ("updated_at");
+  CREATE INDEX "story_voiceovers_created_at_idx" ON "story_voiceovers" USING btree ("created_at");
+  CREATE UNIQUE INDEX "story_voiceovers_filename_idx" ON "story_voiceovers" USING btree ("filename");
+  ALTER TABLE "story_beats" ADD CONSTRAINT "story_beats_voiceover_id_story_voiceovers_id_fk" FOREIGN KEY ("voiceover_id") REFERENCES "public"."story_voiceovers"("id") ON DELETE set null ON UPDATE no action;
+  ALTER TABLE "payload_locked_documents_rels" ADD CONSTRAINT "payload_locked_documents_rels_story_voiceovers_fk" FOREIGN KEY ("story_voiceovers_id") REFERENCES "public"."story_voiceovers"("id") ON DELETE cascade ON UPDATE no action;
+  CREATE INDEX "story_beats_voiceover_idx" ON "story_beats" USING btree ("voiceover_id");
+  CREATE INDEX "payload_locked_documents_rels_story_voiceovers_id_idx" ON "payload_locked_documents_rels" USING btree ("story_voiceovers_id");`)
+}
+
+export async function down({ db, payload, req }: MigrateDownArgs): Promise<void> {
+  await db.execute(sql`
+   ALTER TABLE "story_voiceovers" DISABLE ROW LEVEL SECURITY;
+  DROP TABLE "story_voiceovers" CASCADE;
+  ALTER TABLE "story_beats" DROP CONSTRAINT "story_beats_voiceover_id_story_voiceovers_id_fk";
+  
+  ALTER TABLE "payload_locked_documents_rels" DROP CONSTRAINT "payload_locked_documents_rels_story_voiceovers_fk";
+  
+  DROP INDEX "story_beats_voiceover_idx";
+  DROP INDEX "payload_locked_documents_rels_story_voiceovers_id_idx";
+  ALTER TABLE "story_beats" DROP COLUMN "voiceover_id";
+  ALTER TABLE "payload_mcp_api_keys" DROP COLUMN "story_voiceovers_find";
+  ALTER TABLE "payload_mcp_api_keys" DROP COLUMN "story_voiceovers_create";
+  ALTER TABLE "payload_mcp_api_keys" DROP COLUMN "story_voiceovers_update";
+  ALTER TABLE "payload_mcp_api_keys" DROP COLUMN "story_voiceovers_delete";
+  ALTER TABLE "payload_locked_documents_rels" DROP COLUMN "story_voiceovers_id";`)
+}

src/migrations/20260924_212353_add_story_voiceover_ai_generated.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { MigrateUpArgs, MigrateDownArgs, sql } from '@payloadcms/db-postgres'
+
+export async function up({ db, payload, req }: MigrateUpArgs): Promise<void> {
+  await db.execute(sql`
+   ALTER TABLE "story_voiceovers" ADD COLUMN "ai_generated" boolean DEFAULT false;`)
+}
+
+export async function down({ db, payload, req }: MigrateDownArgs): Promise<void> {
+  await db.execute(sql`
+   ALTER TABLE "story_voiceovers" DROP COLUMN "ai_generated";`)
+}

src/migrations/index.ts

@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ import * as migration_20260923_001209_add_announcements_role_docs_targeting from
 import * as migration_20260923_002422_announcements_description_richtext from './20260923_002422_announcements_description_richtext';
 import * as migration_20260923_200000_add_missing_role_permission_enum_values from './20260923_200000_add_missing_role_permission_enum_values';
 import * as migration_20260923_202700_add_form_builder_collections from './20260923_202700_add_form_builder_collections';
+import * as migration_20260924_205400_add_story_beat_voiceover from './20260924_205400_add_story_beat_voiceover';
+import * as migration_20260924_212353_add_story_voiceover_ai_generated from './20260924_212353_add_story_voiceover_ai_generated';
 
 export const migrations = [
   {
@@ -540,4 +542,14 @@ export const migrations = [
     down: migration_20260923_202700_add_form_builder_collections.down,
     name: '20260923_202700_add_form_builder_collections',
   },
+  {
+    up: migration_20260924_205400_add_story_beat_voiceover.up,
+    down: migration_20260924_205400_add_story_beat_voiceover.down,
+    name: '20260924_205400_add_story_beat_voiceover',
+  },
+  {
+    up: migration_20260924_212353_add_story_voiceover_ai_generated.up,
+    down: migration_20260924_212353_add_story_voiceover_ai_generated.down,
+    name: '20260924_212353_add_story_voiceover_ai_generated'
+  },
 ];

src/payload-types.ts

@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ export interface Config {
     'narrative-events': NarrativeEvent;
     'story-beats': StoryBeat;
     'story-beat-states': StoryBeatState;
+    'story-voiceovers': StoryVoiceover;
     'mission-files': MissionFile;
     'mod-lists': ModList;
     'game-servers': GameServer;
@@ -216,6 +217,7 @@ export interface Config {
     'narrative-events': NarrativeEventsSelect<false> | NarrativeEventsSelect<true>;
     'story-beats': StoryBeatsSelect<false> | StoryBeatsSelect<true>;
     'story-beat-states': StoryBeatStatesSelect<false> | StoryBeatStatesSelect<true>;
+    'story-voiceovers': StoryVoiceoversSelect<false> | StoryVoiceoversSelect<true>;
     'mission-files': MissionFilesSelect<false> | MissionFilesSelect<true>;
     'mod-lists': ModListsSelect<false> | ModListsSelect<true>;
     'game-servers': GameServersSelect<false> | GameServersSelect<true>;
@@ -4306,9 +4308,37 @@ export interface StoryBeat {
    * Optional mission this beat is tied to. Beats may stand alone.
    */
   mission?: (number | null) | Mission;
+  /**
+   * Optional audio narration for this beat. Rendered as a player on /story.
+   */
+  voiceover?: (number | null) | StoryVoiceover;
   updatedAt: string;
   createdAt: string;
 }
+/**
+ * Audio narrations for Chronicle story beats. Attach to a beat via its Voiceover field.
+ *
+ * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
+ * via the `definition` "story-voiceovers".
+ */
+export interface StoryVoiceover {
+  id: number;
+  /**
+   * Tick if this narration was generated by AI (text-to-speech) rather than recorded by a person. Adds a note under the player on /story.
+   */
+  aiGenerated?: boolean | null;
+  updatedAt: string;
+  createdAt: string;
+  url?: string | null;
+  thumbnailURL?: string | null;
+  filename?: string | null;
+  mimeType?: string | null;
+  filesize?: number | null;
+  width?: number | null;
+  height?: number | null;
+  focalX?: number | null;
+  focalY?: number | null;
+}
 /**
  * Per-user read markers and reactions for story beats.
  *
@@ -6188,6 +6218,24 @@ export interface PayloadMcpApiKey {
      */
     delete?: boolean | null;
   };
+  storyVoiceovers?: {
+    /**
+     * Allow clients to find story-voiceovers.
+     */
+    find?: boolean | null;
+    /**
+     * Allow clients to create story-voiceovers.
+     */
+    create?: boolean | null;
+    /**
+     * Allow clients to update story-voiceovers.
+     */
+    update?: boolean | null;
+    /**
+     * Allow clients to delete story-voiceovers.
+     */
+    delete?: boolean | null;
+  };
   missionFiles?: {
     /**
      * Allow clients to find mission-files.
@@ -6735,6 +6783,10 @@ export interface PayloadLockedDocument {
         relationTo: 'story-beat-states';
         value: number | StoryBeatState;
       } | null)
+    | ({
+        relationTo: 'story-voiceovers';
+        value: number | StoryVoiceover;
+      } | null)
     | ({
         relationTo: 'mission-files';
         value: number | MissionFile;
@@ -8602,6 +8654,7 @@ export interface StoryBeatsSelect<T extends boolean = true> {
   status?: T;
   body?: T;
   mission?: T;
+  voiceover?: T;
   updatedAt?: T;
   createdAt?: T;
 }
@@ -8617,6 +8670,24 @@ export interface StoryBeatStatesSelect<T extends boolean = true> {
   updatedAt?: T;
   createdAt?: T;
 }
+/**
+ * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
+ * via the `definition` "story-voiceovers_select".
+ */
+export interface StoryVoiceoversSelect<T extends boolean = true> {
+  aiGenerated?: T;
+  updatedAt?: T;
+  createdAt?: T;
+  url?: T;
+  thumbnailURL?: T;
+  filename?: T;
+  mimeType?: T;
+  filesize?: T;
+  width?: T;
+  height?: T;
+  focalX?: T;
+  focalY?: T;
+}
 /**
  * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
  * via the `definition` "mission-files_select".
@@ -9592,6 +9663,14 @@ export interface PayloadMcpApiKeysSelect<T extends boolean = true> {
         update?: T;
         delete?: T;
       };
+  storyVoiceovers?:
+    | T
+    | {
+        find?: T;
+        create?: T;
+        update?: T;
+        delete?: T;
+      };
   missionFiles?:
     | T
     | {

src/payload.config.ts

@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ import { Releases } from "@/collections/projects/Releases";
 import { Labels } from "@/collections/projects/Labels";
 import { StoryBeats } from "@/collections/story/StoryBeats";
 import { StoryBeatStates } from "@/collections/story/StoryBeatStates";
+import { Voiceovers } from "@/collections/story/Voiceovers";
 import { Shims } from "@/collections/Shims";
 import { Announcements } from "@/collections/Announcements";
 import { CustomMinefields } from "@/collections/minigames/CustomMinefields";
@@ -314,6 +315,7 @@ const collections = [
   // Story
   StoryBeats,
   StoryBeatStates,
+  Voiceovers,
 
   // Server
   MissionFiles,

tests/int/story-beats.int.spec.ts

@@ -2,13 +2,28 @@ import { getPayload, Payload } from "payload";
 import config from "@/payload.config";
 
 import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
-import type { StoryBeat, StoryBeatState, User } from "@/payload-types";
+import type { StoryBeat, StoryBeatState, StoryVoiceover, User } from "@/payload-types";
 import { markBeatRead, setBeatReaction } from "@/lib/story";
 
 let payload: Payload;
 
 const RUN = `story-${Date.now().toString(36)}`;
 
+// Minimal MPEG-1 Layer 3 frame-sync header: what `file-type` sniffs as
+// audio/mpeg. The bytes must be wrapped in a realm-local Uint8Array, because
+// vitest's jsdom environment swaps the global Uint8Array and Node Buffers then
+// fail file-type's instanceof check (Payload would report the file unreadable).
+function mp3FileData(): Buffer {
+  const buffer = Buffer.alloc(67);
+  buffer[0] = 0xff;
+  buffer[1] = 0xfb;
+  return new Uint8Array(buffer) as unknown as Buffer;
+}
+
+function textFileData(text: string): Buffer {
+  return new Uint8Array(Buffer.from(text)) as unknown as Buffer;
+}
+
 function lexicalBody(text: string): StoryBeat["body"] {
   return {
     root: {
@@ -44,6 +59,7 @@ describe("Story beats", () => {
   let otherUserId: number;
   const beatIds: number[] = [];
   const stateIds: number[] = [];
+  const voiceoverIds: number[] = [];
   let draftBeatId: number;
   let publishedBeatId: number;
 
@@ -102,15 +118,18 @@ describe("Story beats", () => {
   });
 
   afterAll(async () => {
+    for (const id of voiceoverIds) {
+      await payload
+        .delete({ collection: "story-voiceovers", id, overrideAccess: true })
+        .catch(() => {});
+    }
     for (const id of stateIds) {
       await payload
         .delete({ collection: "story-beat-states", id, overrideAccess: true })
         .catch(() => {});
     }
     for (const id of beatIds) {
-      await payload
+      await payload.delete({ collection: "story-beats", id, overrideAccess: true }).catch(() => {});
-        .delete({ collection: "story-beats", id, overrideAccess: true })
-        .catch(() => {});
     }
     for (const id of [adminId, userId, otherUserId]) {
       const accounts = await payload
@@ -141,9 +160,7 @@ describe("Story beats", () => {
           .delete({ collection: "profiles", id: profile.id, overrideAccess: true })
           .catch(() => {});
       }
-      await payload
+      await payload.delete({ collection: "users", id, overrideAccess: true }).catch(() => {});
-        .delete({ collection: "users", id, overrideAccess: true })
-        .catch(() => {});
     }
   });
 
@@ -244,9 +261,7 @@ describe("Story beats", () => {
     });
 
     it("refuses to mark a draft beat read for a normal user", async () => {
-      await expect(
+      await expect(markBeatRead(payload, { user, beatId: draftBeatId })).rejects.toThrow();
-        markBeatRead(payload, { user, beatId: draftBeatId }),
-      ).rejects.toThrow();
     });
 
     it("scopes state docs to their owner", async () => {
@@ -322,4 +337,135 @@ describe("Story beats", () => {
       expect(result.docs[0]?.readAt).toBeTruthy();
     });
   });
+
+  describe("voiceovers", () => {
+    let voiceoverId: number;
+
+    it("blocks normal users from creating voiceovers", async () => {
+      await expect(
+        payload.create({
+          collection: "story-voiceovers",
+          data: {},
+          file: {
+            data: mp3FileData(),
+            mimetype: "audio/mpeg",
+            name: `${RUN}-ch0.mp3`,
+            size: 67,
+          },
+          overrideAccess: false,
+          user,
+          depth: 0,
+        }),
+      ).rejects.toThrow();
+    });
+
+    it("allows admin authors to upload audio files", async () => {
+      const created = (await payload.create({
+        collection: "story-voiceovers",
+        data: {},
+        file: {
+          data: mp3FileData(),
+          mimetype: "audio/mpeg",
+          name: `${RUN}-ch1.mp3`,
+          size: 67,
+        },
+        overrideAccess: false,
+        user: admin,
+        depth: 0,
+      })) as unknown as StoryVoiceover;
+      voiceoverId = created.id;
+      voiceoverIds.push(created.id);
+      expect(created.filename).toBe(`${RUN}-ch1.mp3`);
+      expect(created.mimeType).toBe("audio/mpeg");
+      expect(created.url).toBeTruthy();
+    });
+
+    it("hides voiceovers from guests but lets any logged-in user read them", async () => {
+      await expect(
+        payload.find({ collection: "story-voiceovers", overrideAccess: false }),
+      ).rejects.toThrow();
+      const result = (await payload.find({
+        collection: "story-voiceovers",
+        overrideAccess: false,
+        user,
+        depth: 0,
+      })) as unknown as { docs: StoryVoiceover[] };
+      expect(result.docs.map((doc) => doc.id)).toContain(voiceoverId);
+    });
+
+    it("flags AI-generated narrations and defaults the checkbox to false", async () => {
+      const ai = (await payload.create({
+        collection: "story-voiceovers",
+        data: { aiGenerated: true },
+        file: {
+          data: mp3FileData(),
+          mimetype: "audio/mpeg",
+          name: `${RUN}-ch2-ai.mp3`,
+          size: 67,
+        },
+        overrideAccess: false,
+        user: admin,
+        depth: 0,
+      })) as unknown as StoryVoiceover;
+      voiceoverIds.push(ai.id);
+      expect(ai.aiGenerated).toBe(true);
+
+      const human = (await payload.findByID({
+        collection: "story-voiceovers",
+        id: voiceoverId,
+        overrideAccess: false,
+        user,
+        depth: 0,
+      })) as unknown as StoryVoiceover;
+      expect(human.aiGenerated).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it("roundtrips a beat voiceover as a hydrated upload doc at depth 1", async () => {
+      const beat = (await payload.create({
+        collection: "story-beats",
+        data: {
+          title: `${RUN} Voiceover beat`,
+          status: "published",
+          body: lexicalBody("Narrated chapter."),
+          voiceover: voiceoverId,
+        },
+        overrideAccess: false,
+        user: admin,
+        depth: 0,
+      })) as unknown as StoryBeat;
+      beatIds.push(beat.id);
+      expect(beat.voiceover).toBe(voiceoverId);
+
+      const found = (await payload.findByID({
+        collection: "story-beats",
+        id: beat.id,
+        depth: 1,
+        overrideAccess: false,
+        user,
+      })) as unknown as StoryBeat;
+      const doc = found.voiceover && typeof found.voiceover !== "number" ? found.voiceover : null;
+      expect(doc).toBeTruthy();
+      expect(doc?.url).toBeTruthy();
+      expect(doc?.mimeType).toBe("audio/mpeg");
+      expect(doc?.aiGenerated).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it("rejects non-audio file types", async () => {
+      await expect(
+        payload.create({
+          collection: "story-voiceovers",
+          data: {},
+          file: {
+            data: textFileData("plain text, definitely not audio"),
+            mimetype: "text/plain",
+            name: `${RUN}-note.txt`,
+            size: 34,
+          },
+          overrideAccess: false,
+          user: admin,
+          depth: 0,
+        }),
+      ).rejects.toThrow();
+    });
+  });
 });